Chaos Group is pleased to announce the availability of V-Ray 3.60.03 for SketchUp, the latest version of the renderer for Trimble's architectural modelling software, this release included various bugs fixes and performances fixes.

3.60.03 Official Release - Date June 26, 2018:

Optimizations & Workflow Improvements
- Right-click menu has been implemented for sub-materials (child materials) in a shading network - Cut, Copy, and Paste as Instance any child material to another material input slot. Drag-and-drop option can also be utilized
- The naming style of the Multi Matte render elements has been changed to be consistent with the saved image file names. Underscores are now used to separate the base name and the ID numbers - MM_r_g_b
- Imported VRScene geometry can now be clipped
- VRScene animation playback controls have been exposed. The Offset, Playback Type, Speed, Start, and Length can now be changed if necessary
- The Multi Matte render element can now be correctly exported to .vrscene file
- Object IDs in a multi-level scene hierarchy now get inherited the same way materials get inherited. Easily set ID to a top level Group or Component and see it applied to all child objects (which don't have their own custom IDs specified)
- Rendering animations without an output image file path specified is now possible
- The way animation is internally handled has been changed. The Use Camera Path option can now be easily utilized for pre-calculating Irradiance Map for the entire camera path. Animated VRScenes exported from Maya or 3ds Max will now move with a predictable rate. This change also resolves a number of Motion Blur related issues
- The V-Ray for Sketchup Windows Start Menu folder content has been revisited and reorganized (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Chaos Group\V-Ray for SketchUp)
Improvements & Bug Fixes
- V-Ray AppSDK updated to version 1.24.02
- Chaos License Server (previously known as V-Ray License Server) updated to version 5.1.1
- A number of V-Ray for SketchUp startup issues have been resolved
- V-Ray Fur and Mesh Clipper helper objects located in empty component definitions no longer raise Ruby errors
- Reverting back to the default render settings no longer brings up the Animation options rollout in projects without a set animation
- Toon and Two-Sided materials are now automatically bound to the SketchUp material and their textures get displayed in the viewport
- VRScenes can now be scattered with 'Skatter' for SketchUp
- 'Skatter' V-Ray object instances render correctly when the Render Only mode is enabled
- The Proxy Export UI now shows a progress bar to indicate the ongoing process
- The Texture Preview for maps using Environment placement has been improved
- Copy and pasting colors from one Gradient map slot to another now works correctly
- Unsaved SketchUp projects no longer cause a relative path to be displayed in the Proxy Export window. The full path is used instead
- Fur and Clippers in empty component definitions no longer cause Ruby errors
- Applying a Library material directly to the selection no longer causes errors
- Changing the axes of a SketchUp component no longer leads to incorrect object transformation at render time
- The Background Environment texture/color multiplier now updates correctly during Interactive Rendering
- The camera FOV (field of view) is now correctly calculated in scenes where the camera has been modified using the Advanced Camera Tools
- Infinite Plane material changes now get properly updated during Interactive Rendering
- A number of issues related to loading/importing .vrmat materials have been resolved
- Replacing the source object upon Proxy creation now properly names the newly created Multi Material
- The Apply to Selection material function now works in a more reliable way
- MacOS: The Proxy Import window issues have been resolved. The browser window now appears and functions as expected
- MacOS: Purge unused materials no longer causes a crash
- Changing a Multi Material viewport texture (SketchUp side) no longer prevents it from being purged after its Proxy object has been removed from the project

About V-Ray 3.60 for SketchUp. This latest version of the renderer for Trimble's architectural modelling software, adding support for viewport rendering and hybrid CPU/GPU rendering. The release coincides with that of SketchUp Pro 2018, the latest version of SketchUp, and SketchUp Free, a new non-commercial browser-based edition of the technology.

Hybrid rendering: V-Ray RT GPU also now renders on available CPUs

As with V-Ray 3.6 for 3ds Max and Maya, both of which came out earlier this year, a key feature of the release is support for V-Ray Hybrid, Chaos Group's hybrid CPU/GPU rendering system.

The technology enables the CUDA code used by V-Ray RT GPU, V-Ray's interactive renderer, to run on the CPU as well as the GPU, with identical results.

Not every feature of V-Ray RT is currently supported on the GPU, but the update adds several key new ones, including displacement, section planes and subsurface scattering.

Viewport rendering: render interactively in the viewport as well as the frame buffer

A more fundamental change is the introduction of viewport rendering, which enables users to see renders directly in the SketchUp viewport, instead of just the frame buffer.

The system supports region rendering, with the option to select multiple render regions simultaneously; and the results can be blended back with the underlying SketchUp model for a variety of interesting effects.

New 'Smart UI' improves support for 4K displays, introduces new key tools

Other changes include a further update to the UI, following the "massive overhaul" in version 3.0, this time improving the way the interface displays on HiDPI monitors.

The update also adds some fundamental toolsets: a proper file manager, a new colour picker with support for sRGB and Rendering (0.0-1.0) colour space, and a set of UV tools, accessible via context menus.

About Chaos Group. Chaos Group is a worldwide leader in computer graphics technology, helping artists and designers create photoreal imagery and animation for design, television, and feature films. Chaos Group specializes in physically-based rendering and simulation software used daily by top design studios, architectural firms, advertising agencies, and visual effects companies around the globe. Today, the company's research and development in cloud rendering, material scanning, and virtual reality is shaping the future of creative storytelling and digital design. Founded in 1997, Chaos Group is privately owned with offices in Sofia, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Seoul, and Tokyo.